Odds & Ins.

- Let's head into the new NFL season this weekend with a...

September 03, 1993|By Mike Conklin.

- Let's head into the new NFL season this weekend with a little good news. A survey to be released Friday by Team Marketing Report in Chicago indicates pro football clubs generally "held the line" on the costs of going to a game this season. According to the TMR's Fan Cost Index, a formula that takes in the typical expenses for a family of four, the overall price tag will be $173.33, a rise of 4.8 percent. Last season, the jump was 7 percent. Much of this year's leap was attributed to seven clubs hiking their basic ticket price. The biggest jump was by-ta-da!-Super Bowl champion Dallas. The Bears were not one of the seven. "With player salaries increasing at such a steep rate, we were surprised to find that overall ticket and concession prices had jumped only slightly," said TMR Editor Alan Friedman.

- Refresher course: Jim Harbaugh didn't excite Bear fans in the exhibition season, and two eye doctors in Lake County feel they have the answer: He should visit the Visual Fitness Institute at the Eyecare Center in Vernon Hills. "In watching the games and seeing some of the comments in the papers, the word seems to be that Jim needs to make his reads better," said the institute's Thomas Bobka, who, along with partner Barry Seiller, works with athletes at improving visual techniques in competition. "I've sent a letter to Jim, and we're hoping to get a response either from him or the coaches. I know we can help." A publicity gimmick? Consider this: Harbaugh paid regular visits to Bobka during the '90 season, when he recorded his best rating as the regular QB. He never returned.

- More Michael: Publishers for the new Michael Jordan book, to be written by Chicago journalist Mark Vancil, have come up with a title-"Rare Air: Michael on Michael"-and are considering moving up the publication date to late October. It's likely to be a big-ticket, coffee-table-sized effort that's dominated by Walter Yost Jr. photos. Jordan reportedly agreed to hype it in TV appearances with Oprah Winfrey, Larry King and the "Today" show-providing the last two come to Chicago for the interviews.

- Toni watch: The Bulls are braced to learn the fate of their contract problems with Toni Kukoc as soon as Friday or as late as Tuesday. That's the word in NBA circles. The decision apparently will come right after a ruling is made on Chris Dudley in a similar salary cap-related dispute. The Bulls say we shouldn't sweat it. Even if the contract clause in question is voided, the team points out Toni will remain a Bull in a restructured deal that would make him a free agent after two years.

- Something NU 1: Last year, Gary Barnett told Wildcat fans to "expect victory." His team bagged three, and it is safe to say alums are excited about this season. During Thursday's first football luncheon at Harry Caray's, one follower stood and asked Barnett: "Since we don't play Michigan this year, if Northwestern ties them for first place in the final standings, do we get to go to the Rose Bowl?" The coach, a little shaken at first, eventually came back with this answer: "I'm going to ask for a playoff."

- Something NU 2: Those Wildcat TV commercials that began airing this week drew a big approval rating at the luncheon. (When was the last time you saw a center-Rob Johnson, in this case-featured in an ad?) Perhaps the cleverest involves quarterback Len Williams, who knocks over a camera with a pass. Should NU fans be concerned it took 12 passes by Williams to get it right? Not really. Those who were there say Len hit the camera with every pass, but they never fell in the right direction until the 12th try.

- Frank talk: We know Frank Thomas broke the White Sox record for home runs, previously shared by Dick Allen and Carlton Fisk. What's left? How about the greatest offensive season in club history? Thomas also should break the team record for slugging percentage, .603 by Allen in 1972, plus two of Shoeless Joe Jackson's marks from his fateful 1920 season-most total bases (336) and most extra-base hits (74). He also has an outside shot at topping Zeke Bonura's club RBI mark of 138.

- Campus grapevine: Apparently we have warring Jayhawk alums in Chicagoland. When ex-Bear QB Bobby Douglass read that ex-Bear RB Gale Sayers said it was a mistake for Kansas to play in the Kickoff Classic (where the Jayhawks were beaten by Florida State 42-0), his response was: "He's crazy. Somebody should ask Gale if they (KU) need the money." . . . Michigan reportedly has been turned down by two ADs-John Swofford of North Carolina, Bob Frederick of Kansas-in its search for a new sports boss. Sources say the presence of Wolverine legend Bo Schembechler, who keeps an office on the campus, spooked applicants.

- And finally: Tom Finch, sports director at WJPC Radio and former promotions director at Arlington International Racecourse, is getting married this weekend-to Tina Finch, no relation (yet). Tom says there were a few strange looks at City Hall when they applied for their marriage license and the clerk saw that each had a father named William Finch. "Mine's deceased, but we still had to swear we weren't related," he said. "I'm just happy Tina decided not to hyphenate her name to Finch-Finch." He added that they won't honeymoon in Finchville, Ky.